After passing through various corridors and taking several turns, Roy reached the library doors. He stepped through and entered.
It is quite spacious.
Wooden shelves were fixed to the walls, filled with books covered in various colors. Two tables stood at the end with chairs, close to the window. He walked toward the shelves and looked at the books neatly placed, he picked up a book and examined its cover.
Not to his surprise, he could understand the language as it was written in English. The History of Derath. He had already suspected this, since everyone was speaking English, which was most benefitable thing happened to him after waking up here.
I wonder what would have happened if I didn't even understand the language of this world if it was not English.
(Author's Note: I'm glad it's English. what a wonderful coincidence. Wouldn't you agree?)
He gathered a few books and sat in a chair, placed the books on the table, and began reading. He absorbed the knowledge and started understanding the intricacies of the world and the history of the place where he now lived.
Edrath was the name of the world he was inhabiting currently. It was likely a different reality rather than merely another universe. The world was vast; he didn't know how many times larger it was compared to The Earth.
Long ago, mana had entered this world and began altering its geographical structure. If only it was just geographically alterations.
Humans started wielding magical powers and bending elements to their will. Though this should have been a blessing, it became a disaster. Not only humans but ordinary animals also began to change. They underwent mutations and turned into beasts. These beasts, too, gained the ability to wield magic.
These ferocious beasts attacked humans, but humans with magic powers fought back and nearly drove them to extinction. That's when everything changed drastically. Dungeons appeared across the world, and monsters emerged from them, waging relentless war on humans.
Humanity battled not only mutated beasts but also monsters from the dungeons, constantly embroiling mankind in conflict. It took several thousand years before humanity stabilized and began developing the land, leveraging mana users known as Mages.
Edrath contained multiple continents; the total size of the world remained unknown. Temesia was the continent where he lived, composed of several kingdoms. His father was one of the four Dukes of the Kingdom of Throdern, ruling over vast lands.
"What a magical land… still hard to believe even after reading all of this. A magical land indeed. I need to become a Mage and explore the wonders of the world. I wonder if I can travel to Earth after I became strong enough to tear space and time.," he muttered, closing the book and placing it aside.
Picking up another book, he resumed reading.
Mages—wielders of mana who could manipulate the elements—became humanity's hope. Not everyone could awaken elemental powers and become a Mage. There were mages who could only use mana but had no affinity with any element.
Awakeners like them often pursued different paths: Enchanter, Alchemist, Spellwright, or Scholar.
Having an elemental affinity alongside mana wasn't the only route to strength. Another path for those without mana was to become a Knight, focusing on the strength of the body.
By using the Body Ascension technique, one could surpass mortal limits and battle beasts with pure strength. Though Body Ascension was far more demanding than becoming a Mage, it required nourishment through various herbs and potions.
"So, it's not certain that everyone will awaken. There's a chance I won't wield mana, but there's also a chance of becoming an awakener. I still have the path of Body Ascension," he said aloud, his gaze growing determined. "As long as I can wield mana, it's fine—even without affinity, I can follow my old path: the Path of Engineering."
Sellas spent several more hours in the library, reading more books, though most were about literature and other random topics he wasn't interested in, but he still read to understand the culture of this world.
Though there was the presence of Magic in this world. Edrath wasn't advanced when it came to technology. There was no information regarding the other continents in any book, but at least he could tell that Temesia was not an advanced continent.
The distance between continents was vast, and it was way too dangerous to travel via Sea as it was filled with various aquatic beasts.
Travelling by air also isn't easy as it is populated with beasts that have the ability to fly.
Sellas continued reading, not minding the passage of time.
---
Sellas awoke to the sunlight once again, covering his face as he sat up and stretched lazily. He glanced around and everything remained in place.
"So now I can confirm I'm not dreaming, and I really have crossed over to this world.", Sellas chuckled inside. "Well, today is a big day; I need to get up and prepare for it."
Sellas rose from bed and went out to bathe and dress in perfect clothes, for today was the day of the Awakening Ceremony. It was a significant occasion, and he had heard that a few guests would arrive to witness the birth of new magicians in the Ducal House.
Before long, he was led to the hall where guests chatted and laughed. His father and his step-mothers entertained guests he didn't recognize, but he ignored them and moved to the table where his siblings sat, waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin.
Sellas had just sat down when his father raised his hand, and the hall fell silent.
"Thank you all for joining us on this wonderful occasion. Today, four of my children will undergo the Awakening Ceremony. So, without further ado, Albert, bring out the orb," Admar called out to Albert.
Albert brought a table and a case to the center of the hall. Opening the case, a shining crystal about the size of a football lay gently inside, glowing faintly with the allure of a precious jewel.
Sellas recognized it as an awakening orb, crafted from unknown materials. If he was correct, all he had to do was place his hand on the orb and the magic would happen.
The hall was hushed, anticipation etched on every face. Just as he wondered who would go first, his brother Sean stepped forward, confidence and eagerness on his face. After bowing briefly to their parents, he approached the table and gently placed his hand on the orb.
The orb remained still for a second, then began flickering with light.
So, he can wield mana at least.
Sellas thought back to what he had read. If the orb stayed silent, it meant the person couldn't wield mana, let alone have elemental affinity. Flickering indicated the person could wield mana, but the crucial part came next. He, like everyone else, focused intently on the orb.
The orb flared with brilliant red flames, indicating his affinity.
"Fire elemental affinity," Albert announced. "A wonderful offensive affinity for a battle mage."
The guests erupted in applause. His father praised and congratulated Sean as he returned to them. The next to step forward was Maria. As soon as she placed her hand on the orb, it shimmered, and ice crystals appeared inside it.
"Ice affinity," Albert proclaimed. "One of the rarest affinities, same as the eldest young mistress."
Sean glanced at Emilia, who wore a snowy white dress, which made sense for her preference, as she was also an Ice Mage. He was surprised, as he hadn't known the affinities of his siblings.
I wonder what's the affinity of my father.
Maria smiled cheerfully and returned after receiving praise from the guests and parents. Next to step forward was Karen. As soon as he placed his hands on the orb, it shimmered with not one but two distinct colors.
"A dual affinity," someone blurted out.
Even his father's expressions grew serious, as dual affinities were extremely rare among mages. Only one among hundreds would have the blessings to form a dual affinity, and his brother, Karen was going to be that one mage.
"Wind and fire," Albert exclaimed. "What a formidable combination. Congratulations to Lord Admar on such a wonderful blessing."
Applause broke out again—even Lord Admar was visibly pleased, knowing a dual-element mage would enhance his prestige and reputation.
Now it was his turn—Roy, now Sellas, stepped forward with a heart full of excitement, nervousness, fear, and anticipation. He was excited to wield mana, nervous and fearful of failure, and eager to see his affinity. These emotions made his heart pound louder than before.
He placed his hand on the orb; it flickered slightly, and relief washed over him knowing he could at least wield mana. That was the most important part; the rest was secondary.
As he waited for his affinity to appear in the orb, the intensity of the light kept growing, then suddenly it dimmed, and silence fell over him.
Albert hesitated, then announced aloud, "No… no affinity, but his magic power is quite high."
The hall fell silent as Sellas turned to his father, Lord Admar, who gazed at him with a hint of disappointment. Sellas had expected this, but he wasn't concerned, because what he saw was entirely different from what others perceived.
A screen—like an advanced hologram—appeared before his eyes. He already knew what it was, even without reading the context.
The System on the Move.